Floor rack for refrigerator cars



Nov. 7, 1939. c. E CREDE FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed June 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 7, 1939. c. E. CREDE FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR. CARS Filed June 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I jfiueriz f Z/zarleafl Crecia- Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES 2.11am!) noon BACK roa REFRIGERATOR cans Charles E. Crede, Pittsburgh, Pa" assignor, by

mesne assignments,

Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 1'1, 1931, Serial No. 148,629 9 Claims. (01. 105-375) The invention relates to insulated refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities. such as vegetables, fruits, berries, meats, eggs, frozen fish, etc., and to maintain such commodi- 5 ties while in transit within a predetermined range of temperature, thus necessitating the use of a cooling means in the summer and a heating means in the winter. It has been found that perishable commodities which have not been al- 10 lowed to get too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake) have a high market value because they have a longer storage life.

The invention relates specifically to floor racks for such refrigerator cars which comprise 15 a foraminous or perforated floor, arranged to support the lading in the car in spaced relation to the insulated floor of the car so that air, after it has been cooled by a refrigerant, or heated by a heater, may pass under the lading and through 20 the foraminous floor and up through or between the lading.

The object of the invention is to provide a floor rack for a refrigerator car which is very strong to support vertical loads and has great strength 25 in a horizontal direction (to resist the tendency of a shifting load to move the floor rack sidewise) without materially retarding the flow of air below the floor rack or materially reducing the amount of air flow through the floor rack.

30 A further object is to form a floor rack of a corrugated (or similarly formed) metallic plate to provide a plurality of fines or air channels between the corrugations which communicate with the usual bunker of a refrigerator car, and to 5 support thereon an apertured auxiliary floor having certainparts or zones thereof perforated for air movement therethrough and other parts or zones thereof solid so that air movement throu h the auxiliary floor may be proportioned to re- 40 quirements. For instance, in hot weather air leakage around the doorway necessitates more cold air from the refrigerant chamber or bulkhead than is required at the zone near the bulkhead and likewise heat leakage through the side 45 walls of the car may necessitate more cold air from the refrigerant chamber than the zone near the middle of the car.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows the application of my device to a 5 railway refrigerator car.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved floor rack.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of my improved floor rack.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved floor rack.

55 Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are sections on lines 5-5; H

and 1-'-'l respectively of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows'a typical railway refrigerator car having roof 2, floor 3, end wall 4 and doorway I. The bulkhead 6 separates the refrigerant cham- 60 be: I from the lading compartment and is pro- .are provided with apertures vided with a grate 8 for supporting ice (for cool; ing the air) or a stove (for warming the air). The floor rack Ill provides a space H between the lading l2 and the floor 3. Air being cooled by the refrigerant descends into the space H and 5 rising upwardly through apertures in the floor rack and through or between the lading i2, and

- being warmed thereby, returns through the opening l3 above the bulkhead to the refrigerant chamber. This air movement is indicated by 10 arrows. When a stove is used for heating the air, of course, the direction of the circulation is reversed. This convection circulation of air is repeated.

In the form of invention illustrated the floor rack rests upon the floor 3 and comprises a metallic plate formed with alternating upper and lower 2i portions connected by preferably diagonal webs 22. The foraminous floor rests upon and is preferably secured to the upper portions 20 of 20 the floor rack. In the form shown the foraminous floor comprises a plurality of spaced apart slats 23 extending normally to the webs 22. The rack is positioned with the webs 22 extending normally to the bulkhead 6, or, as in most cases, 25 parallel to the side walls of the car so that the spaces 25-26 between the webs, that is, both above the lower portion 2| and below the upper portions 20, form a series of parallel air channels which communicate with the refrigerant chamber 1.

Some parts of some of the upper portions 20 30 which register with the apertures-in the foraminous floor, or as shown, register with the spaces 3| between the slats to allow air movement from the spaces H below the upper portions 20 into the lading compartment 8.

Owing to the leakage of heat from the outside to the inside of the car around the doors 5 of the car, it is desirable to provide for more movement of air from the channels to the lading compartment than elsewhere in the car, therefore, I prefer to leave the upper portions 20 imperforate except adjacent said doors, where I provide-the apertures 30 in these upper portions,

The zone adjacent the bulkhead 6 is usually the coldest part of the car, therefore, it may be desirable to cover up some of the air channels 25 above the lower portions 2! which, in the form illustrated, is accomplished by providing the plates 35 and 36. These plates may be welded (31) to the upper portions 20. These members or plates extend longitudinally of the car for about onesixth of the length thereof.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention. though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications on 2 amuse thereof, within the scope of the claims, will others oi said flues being enclosed adjacent said our to persons skilled in the art. means whereby the regions or lading com- I claim: partment remote from said means may receive a 1. In a refrigerator car having a lading comlarger quantity oi said air than the regions 'ad- 4 5 partment and a floor, the combination of a rack jacent said means. 6 for supporting a lading in said compartment 6. In a refrigerator car having a lading com- 10 and said upper portions having secured thereto parallel flues, means to induce an air current in a foraminous member to form a plurality of flues said lines and means providing communication 10 which provide communication between certain of means than adjacent said first-mentioned means said fines and the ladmg compartment whereby the regions 01' the lading compartment 15 In a refrigerator car having a lading comremote from said first-mentioned means partment and a floor, the combination of a rack receive a larger quantity 01' said air than the refor supporting a ladmg in said compartment comgions adjacent said first-mentioned means prising a plate formed with a plurality oi alter- 7. In a refrigerator car having a lading com- 29 nating upper and lower portions connected by partment and a floor the combination of a rack webs, said lower portions resting upon said floor arranged to support a lading in said compartment and said upper porti ns h n red hereto and formed to provide a plurality of substantially a foramlnolls member to form a plurality of dues parallel non-communicative flues and means to below the lading, means to induce an air curinduce an air current in said flues, some ofsaid 30 adjacent said first-mentioned means to enclose munjcatlng r mot from said means having a 6 D r m d a floor, the om na of a rack may receive a larger quantity of said air than the arranged to support a lading in said compartment regions adjacent said means. and formed to provide a plurality of substan- 8. In a refrigerator car having a lading comtially parallel non-communicative flues and means partment, a flo r, a refrigerantchamber sepato induce an air current in said fiues, some of said ted from the ladin compartment by a bulkhead fiues communicating with the lading comparta d a, doorway in said wall remote from said 40 ment only remote from said means and others bulkh ad, 9, rack arranged to support a lading in a a e q y 1' Sa d r h n the i n chamber induces an air current under said bulkadjacent said means. head and in'said flues, some of said flues com- 4. In a refrigerator car having a lading communicating with theladingcompartment only adpartment and a floor, the combination of a rack ja ent said doorway and others of said flues comarranged to support a lading in said compartment municating with the;ladin compartme t adja and formed to provide a plurality of substantially cent said bulkhead andralso adja t i doorinduce an air current in said fines, some of said ment adjacent said doorway may receive a larger flues communicating with the lading compartquantity of said air than the regions adjacent the ment only remote from said means, others of said means.

lines communicating with the: lading compart- 9. In a refrigerator car having a lading.comment adjacent said means and also remote from partment and allow, the combination of a rack communications whereby the regions of the ladmeans to induce an air current in said flues, some 60 partment and a. floor, the combination of a rack providing communication remote from said ly parallel non-communicative dues and means to regions of the lading compartment remote from induce an air current in said flues, some of said said means may receive a larger quantity of said flues communicating with the lading compartair than the regions adjacent said means. 70 ment over substantially their entire-length and C ARLES E. CREDE. 

